A blog on Purpose & Servant Leadership

I have been swamped with work the last few weeks, but not too busy to see a movie or two on the weekends. I reviewed Indiana Jones a few weeks ago, did not bother reviewing Iron Man (it was entertaining but with no redeeming value), and last week saw the latest adaptation of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

In this edition, our four young heroes are transported from World War II England back to Narnia when Prince Caspian blows the magic horn in Narnia. Our four friends find that 1,3000 years have elapsed in Narnia since they were last there and that have been summoned to assist Prince Caspian as he opposes his evil uncle who is plotting to seize the throne.

C.S. Lewis was a brilliant writer, able to portray Christian life principles and values in a way that was both entertaining and inspiring. The movie captures the essence of Lewis as we see our flawed heroes fail, prideful, forgiving, brave, petty, strong and waiting for Aslan, the mighty lion who has the power to save those who put their trust in him. Aslan does not disappoint, but he takes forever to show up, arriving just in the nick of time.

I found myself wanting to stand and cheer during the movie, but my cause for celebration wasn't the movie itself. It was Lewis, who wrote to impact his day and is still impacting society through these cinema adaptations. I wanted to applaud my faith -- I know that sounds silly -- which is so in touch with human drama and realities. (When is the last time you saw a good movie from a Buddhist, Muslim or Hindu writer that captured your heart and imagination?).

I left this movie wanting to do what Lewis had done: Take his gifts and use them in such a way that they touched people where they lived while highlighting eternal issues. If you haven't seen Prince Caspian, do yourself a favor and go. It will do you good, especially if you consider what you can do to touch the world around you like Lewis did his.

Comments

To play devil's advocate and in answer to your question about authors of other religions try 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini. While not 100% sure of his faith there is a strong Muslim theme throughout the book.

The movie's depiction of the courage of the young men in the face of fierce foes caught my attention! Caspian, Peter, and Edmund all showed courage by running TOWARD the battle line on more than one occassion. They were not without an awareness of the danger - Peter's question to Edmund during the pause in his duel with Caspian's uncle displayed his wonderment at how things seemed to be going - but he got back in the ring.

Now that I think more about the movie, the girls showed courage, too! Susan stood her ground in the forest and kept firing her arrows at the oncoming marauders. And she held her position leading the archers on the fortress. But probably the most memorable display of courage was by dear little Lucy as she drew her dagger and stood on one end of the bridge as the Telmarine army approached. The look of delight on her face spoke volumes! Her confidence came from the actual presence of Aslan standing next to her. Her courage didn't come from confidence in her own capabilities - she knew well Aslan's power and trusted Him to act in a way to bring justice.

I was inspired to hold the kind of hope that was displayed by the young heroes and heroines! The battle may appear hopeless and we may seem to be outnumbered, but fight on we must, with the hope that our Captain and King will ultimately vanquish evil. And a small portion of His victory may actually be accomplished by us as we follow His leadership in personal, practical areas of our lives!